A video captured by several news agencies shows the First Lady grabbing Emmanuel Macron’s face as he exits the presidential plane in Hanoi, Vietnam.
As the A330 door opens, the President appears and abruptly steps back, as a hand, that of his wife Brigitte Macron, in red, appears to push him away in the face. The head of state immediately realizes he is being filmed, smiles, and gives a quick wave.
The Presidency first denied the authenticity of the images, citing manipulation or editing generated by artificial intelligence.
But once the videos were authenticated, the official narrative suddenly changed tone. A close friend of the president described them as a simple “couple’s quarrel.”
Brigitte Macron then ostentatiously refuses the arm Emmanuel offers her to take as she descends the steps of the plane, under the stunned gaze of the cameras.
The French delegation was received by senior Vietnamese officials—Le Khanh Hai, Tran Sy Thanh, Le Thi Thu Hang, and Ambassador Dinh Toan Thang.
